10 ICU patients; 9 ICU monitors.

[shgrbkr]

Would like some feedback on the following situation: ICU. 12 beds (all 12 used to have ICU monitors). NOW... only 9 beds equipped with ICU monitoring equipment. 3 beds can have telemetry level patients. What is the hospital's obligation when they have 10 or 11 ICU level patients, and want to put (and have) the extra 1 or 2 on telemetry only? They are licensed for ?? number of ICU beds.Do they have to report the change to the state? I need suggestions where to find hard, legal backup for refusing to take more ICU patients than there are monitors. How can one pick and choose which patients get the tele box and which get the real deal ICU monitor? This is a disaster waiting to strike, and I need HELP!! JCAHO does not address this issue directly.

[Noney]

I would get out now. If a hospital won't keep their icu monitors working, what else isn't working?? It would up to the doc's to order Tele monitoring vs. icu monitoring wouldn't it??

Noney

[Gldngrl]

Try your state department of public health, you can make a complaint anonymously. If you're licensed for X number of ICU monitored beds and management tries to substitute telemetry instead, they may need to apply to amend their license to operate X ICU monitored beds and X telemetry step down beds, may be an OSHA issue as well if they didn't and it's required; DPH will either have the authority to look into it, and/or will provide you with other agencies to contact to discuss the problem.

[mattsmom81]

I would insist that any patient on a remote tele monitor should be tele status. You can't accept responsibility for someone else's watching of your monitor(not an ICU standard of care)....so if you are not watching their rhythm personally you really can't consider the patient your ICU pt in my opinion. Try presenting this to your manager in this way, she will likely see your concern.

Perhaps an assignment under protest form is in order to protect you should something happen. If your tele monitors are elsewhere you cannot be expected to have xray vision.

[harry Krishna]

This is a chronic problem in alot of ERs. Especially during the winter season. It is very dangerous but it is a daily occurance that you are holding tele-ICU patients, plus a large influx of your regular ER patients requiring monitors and not enough monitors to go around.

Good luck!!!

[Marty1]

Yikers

I think I would go with the call to the state anonymously ,

this is not only a dangerous practice but which of you out

there would want your family member is such a situation?